The storms Harvey, Irma and Maria,left large swathes of the Caribbean islands and US
coastal area badly damaged. Some of the hardest areas hit were in Puerto Rico,
Cuba, Dominican Republic, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Whole houses were
flattened as well as much damage done to public utilities including schools,
hospitals and other facilities.

It is doubtful that the
local authorities will have the manpower to rebuild and restore everything back to the way it was before. Individual citizens will be
needed to chip in and do what they can for their own good and that of their
neighbors and communities. What can you do as an everyday person to help
rebuild areas devastated by the storm?

Clean up toxic trash in
your home

There is a lot of toxic
trash that was washed up to different places by the storm water. This includes
non-biodegradable plastics, pesticides
and other dangerous chemicals. Identify this trash and handle appropriately, or
ask the authorities to handle it as a priority.

Get organized

In the absence of a
concerted effort by the public authorities, it is left to the citizens to get
organized. Contact your neighbors and talk to them about the need to do the
rebuilding as a collective effort. Instead of hiring cleaning crews, the group
can move and help around each home, cleaning up and placing the trash such that the
authorities can collect the trash easily.

Prioritize needs in the community

While damage was
widespread, damage in some areas and homes was more severe than others. Identify
the neighbors who require the most help as a priority. The priority is to make their
homes habitable as quickly as possible. Donate things such as building materials
and also household items that might be needed like blankets, or even appliances
such as stove tops.

Donate

Giving to charity would
be the best way to help those you cannot reach in the immediate neighborhood
and community. The people living in the devastated Caribbean islands have less
capable governments and would greatly benefit from the help of charities.

You can donate in cash or
in kind. Donating in kind could be in the form of clothes, blankets or building
materials. You can also donate redeemable vouchers in which the charities can use
to pick up items that are locally available. Contact the nearest Red Cross chapter
for more information.